The Photographer

It was not my first visit to Taj Mahal. But for my husband, it was the first time.

As soon as we got out of the Taxi, we were engulfed by guides with flyers, kids selling the mementoes, beggars asking for changes…

Somehow we got out of that crowd. We were stopped by a kid, pleading us to hire a photographer who was standing few feet away from us for all the photos we would like to take. The photographer was a thin, tall and dark person. He had long hair, which never obeyed a comb. An old camera hung from one of his shoulders. It was not at all a latest model. He looked at us, but didn’t say anything… but his eyes were kind of pleading us to hire him.

Babu, my husband, moved forward ignoring the kid. I remembered the group photo I had, when I visited Taj Mahal for the first time with my College mates many many years ago. That photo looked very professional, even though not more than one minute was taken for that sitting in front of the Taj Mahal. The Photographer who clicked that photo was not that impressive either. I remembered that fact. 

The weather was very warm and humid. How much I loved to take off  my clothes and jump into some pool!

I told him, “Babu, let us hire this photographer.” 

He said, “Look at his camera! It is a very old model. Our iPhones’ camera will be better than that camera.” 

Babu just walked on…

I stopped him and pleaded again to hire that man. 

“Don’t let his look or the age of his camera deceive you. He will know exactly where we should sit to get a good background. By the time we finish our tour, we will get an Album with hard copies of our photos. Please…”

Babu was not very happy to agree with me, still he agreed. 

The photographer walked few feet ahead of us. He made us stop at few places and clicked few photos. He was very sure about what he was doing. 

It was becoming warmer and warmer. I felt like as if I am standing in front of an oven. Somehow I wanted to finish the tour and reach somewhere cool and shady as fast as we could. The photographer was very quick, not even once he did click more than once in any place he took a photo of us.

I wanted my tour to be over as soon as possible, since the weather was not cooperative at all. Onetime I felt the urge to scream as loudly as I could. It was too hot and dry.

The tour was not pleasant at all. Some how we completed it. By the time we reached the Taxi, our photographer was near it. He had an Album in his hand. It was a cheap one. Babu gave me a look. I pretended as if I didn’t see it.

Then we opened the album. Each photo we saw was better than the previous one. The photographer knew exactly where to make us sit and when to click to get the perfect photograph. There was a content look on his face, when he saw our reactions watching the photos.

Here is a sample of the photograph. It looks like as if I am sitting in the moonlight, in a romantic mood.

So when you visit Taj Mahal, hire a local photographer you see near the Taj Mahal entrance to take your pictures. It is very economical, the photos are perfect and remember that you are giving a chance to a local photographer to make a living!